The CFO Playbook

How do you lead finance in a global human rights organisation, protect independence, and make sure every pound supports the mission? Is there someone you’d like to see on The CFO Playbook? Email us at: pr@soldo.com In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Rohan Hewavisenti, CFO at Amnesty International, one of the world’s most recognised human rights organisations. Rohan...

How do you rebuild a heritage automotive brand, manage risk through volatility, and keep finance close to the factory floor? Is there someone you’d like to see on The CFO Playbook? Email us at: pr@soldo.com In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Andy Mullineaux, CFO at MOKE International, the British automotive brand reimagining the iconic MOKE as a fully electric, mode...

How does a CFO help turn startup chaos into scale-up structure, translate numbers into action, and support growth across every part of the business? In this episode of The CFO Playbook , David McClelland is joined by Brad Channer, CFO at UBIO , the automation company helping businesses connect systems that were never designed to work together. Brad shares why the CFO role in a startup or scale-up...

How does a CFO help a business stand out in a crowded market, execute a bold AI strategy, and lead the company through acquisition without losing focus?  In this episode of  The CFO Playbook , David McClelland is joined by  Tom DiDesidero, CFO at SmartRecruiters , the hiring platform focused on making recruitment easier and more effective for enterprise customers.  Tom explains why the most effect...

How do you keep finance customer-centric—especially when you’re scaling fast, operating across regulated markets, and navigating crisis moments? In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Mohamed “Mo” Omaizat, CFO and Managing Director at Taxfix, the Berlin-based, AI-first tax platform helping customers file taxes more easily across multiple European markets.  Mo shares why...

How do you raise $100m fast and still keep finance discipline as you scale? In this episode of The CFO Playbook , David McClelland is joined by John Glasgow , CFO and CEO at Campfire (a Silicon Valley scale-up building a modern ERP for growing companies). John shares what it really looks like to run both the vision and the purse strings, including how Campfire raised $100m across Series A and B in...

How do finance leaders move from reporting the past to shaping the future — and what will truly matter for CFOs in the year ahead? In this special end-of-year episode of The CFO Playbook , host David McClelland is joined once again by Sacha Herman, Chief Financial Officer at Soldo, to reflect on the most powerful themes and insights shared by finance leaders throughout 2025. Drawing on conversatio...

How do you build a finance organization that fuels rapid scale without losing agility and clarity of purpose? In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Liz Kistruck, Chief Financial Officer at Motorway, the UK’s largest consumer to dealer used car marketplace and one of the country’s fastest-growing unicorns. Liz shares how Motorway has transformed a fragmented offline ind...

Download our checklist, The future belongs to adaptable finance leaders. How do you build a finance function that can plan and pivot at the speed of change? In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Hemant Kapadia, Chief Financial Officer at Anaplan , the connected planning platform used by enterprises across finance, sales, supply chain and workforce planning. Hemant shar...

Download our checklist, The CFO’s AI checklist: six practical steps For your chance to win the ultimate CFO library, enter the competition today: www.soldo.com/competition What role should finance play when artificial intelligence is reshaping the way global businesses operate? In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Riccardo Calliano , VP Finance, GenAI Commercial Inves...

Download our checklist, 6 practices of a fulfilling Finance career  Enter the competition today: www.soldo.com/competition What does it take to keep a finance function firmly on track in one of the UK’s most asset-heavy industries? In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Funto Agbeniga, Head of Finance at GB Railfreight, to explore her intentional career journey and the...

Download our checklist, The 8 CFO Stategies for Smart Scaling Enter the competition today: www.soldo.com/competition What does it mean to build a finance function that is truly aligned with product, operations and customers? In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Ben Averis , CFO of Yoto , the screen-free audio platform helping children explore stories, music and learni...

What if you could transform your finance operations by integrating technology and automation into every aspect of your business strategy?  In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by fractional CFO-COO Charlie Hunt to explore how FinOps are reshaping the landscape of finance by shifting from isolated departments to integrated roles, with finance leaders becoming strategic pa...

In the latest episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Ben Dooley , CFO at Accel to explore nuances of the CFO role within lean, agile organisations with vast geographical footprints. Highlighting venture capital's vibrant evolution, Ben shares the ripple effect of successful startups and Accel’s strategic focus on early-stage tech investments across Europe, Israel, and India. He...

Beyond the balance sheet, what strategies do CFOs in the fast-moving consumer goods industry deploy to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market?  In this episode, Claire Caulliez , CFO at Nestle Italy & Malta, gives David McClelland a behind the scenes insight into the unique challenges finance leaders face in an industry driven by high volume and fierce brand loyalty.  Claire’s strategies for...

Following the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, David McClelland is joined by an expert panel to explore how the Statement, alongside the wider economic landscape, will influence CFOs ability to plan, invest and drive confidence. Baroness Ayesha Hazarika MBE, Oli Lawson , CFO at Sigma Sports, and Helen Ashton , former CFO of ASOS, discuss the economic context of Rachel Reeves' Statement and Labour's...

Organisations are making bold bets on AI for the long-term, with 89% planning to increase or maintain their AI investments in 2025*. Moving beyond experimentation, organisations are now zeroing in on the bottom line - and it’s CFOs who are responsible for making sure these investments deliver real business impact. In this episode, Monica Proothi , IBM Consulting’s Global Finance Transformation Lea...

In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Jitesh Sodha , outgoing CFO of Spire Healthcare and a winner of the HotTopics Global CFO 100 . A seasoned, but initially accidental CFO with over 25 years experience including FTSE 250 NED (PZ Cussons) and PLC board experience, Jitesh candidly reflects on the influences of luck and timing in his career advancement, observing that m...

In this episode, David McClelland is joined by Thomas Schindler , CFO at Allianz Global Investors to explore the evolving role of finance leaders in today's dynamic business landscape.  As Thomas shares in today’s episode, Asset Managers have a unique, if under-recognised, impact on the world around us – one that touches each of our lives. A lawyer by training who previously served as the company’...

Strategic leader, collaborator, innovator, and communicator – the role of a modern CFO encompasses all of these and more. CFOs today are tasked with balancing financial expertise with creativity, guiding businesses through uncertainty, and building trust across their organisations. But what does all of that look like in practice? For this special episode of The CFO Playbook, we're joined by CFO of...

In this episode, Christopher Striano , Chief Operating Officer of Global Finance at Blackstone, joins David McClelland to discuss the impact of corporate culture on business success, from the perspective of the world’s largest alternative asset manager. With over $1 trillion in assets under management, Blackstone invests in businesses across industries and geographies, including private equity, re...

In this episode, David McClelland is joined by Myles Corson , EY Global and Americas Strategy and Markets Leader, Financial Accounting Advisory Services and host of the Better Finance Podcast, to discuss the evolving landscape for finance leaders amidst uncertainty and instability, termed the 'polycrisis'. As we navigate a complex global landscape, marked by geopolitical tensions, inflation uncert...

In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Marie Joyce , CFO and COO of NTR , the trailblazing renewable energy specialist to discuss their mission to advance sustainable infrastructure by investing in wind, solar, and energy storage assets across Europe. What exactly does it take to transform from toll roads to renewable energy? Marie reveals the incredible evolution of NT...

In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Mark Freedman to explore the changing landscape of finance leadership, from crash to AI and beyond. Mark started his career at Deutsche Bank before moving onto London Stock Exchange Group. Over three decades in the finance sector, he’s proved himself to be a transformational force ready to face down the challenges of a digital fina...

In this episode we look beyond the UK with guest Huiming Chen discussing the challenges and opportunities of leading finance teams across diverse geographies and cultures with host David McClelland . In her current role as Europe Commercial CFO at Illumina, Huiming shares her expertise on acknowledging and bridging cultural differences, fostering open communication, and balancing structural prefer...